A new book designed to provide its readers with a window into New Bedford's complex and colorful fishing industry was released Jan. 14.
Titled "Voices from the Waterfront," the book is just that — allowing 40 people, who derive their livelihoods from a business that annually contributes $5.5 billion to the New England economy, to tell their stories in their own words.
Subtitled "Portrait of the New Bedford Fishing Industry," the book was produced as a collaborative effort between Laura Orleans and Kirsten Bendiksen, co-founders of the annual Working Waterfront Festival in New Bedford, and Connecticut's Mark Starr, a professional photographer who has previously produced photo books on the commercial fishermen of Point Judith.
The personal narratives, each one a page in length, are accompanied by luminous black and white photographs of the subjects.